In some medical procedures, such as a coronary artery bypass graft surgery, it is necessary to create a uniform round hole in the aorta or other blood channel. It is known in the art to employ an aortic punch to create such holes. In operation, a small incision is created in the aorta through which the anvil of the aortic punch is passed. The wall of the aorta is then pinched between the anvil and the shear of the aortic punch in order to create the hole.
Currently aortic punches are available in a variety of sizes to accommodate doctors with varying hand sizes and preferences. As a result, suppliers and hospitals generally may have to stock a variety of sizes of aortic punches. It would be useful to provide an aortic punch that has an adjustable length so that a single device can meet varying surgeon preferences.